Born in Kurdistan, Iran in 1979 Hiwa Pashaei graduated with a B.A. from Soore University, Tehran in 2003 and a M.F.A. in Visual Arts from Central Azad University, Tehran in 2006. As a sought-after lecturer in art education, Pashaei taught fine arts in Tehran from 2004 to 2018 which led to many academic publications. Early in his career, Pashaei dedicated his work to depicting and celebrating Kurdish women, namely the Kalhor tribe, in their authentic roles as independent, innovative, and inspiring. The artwork was presented in the individual exhibitions of “Henase”(2012), “Bawan”(2015), and “Daye”(2016).
Pashaei has held 29 solo exhibitions in Tehran, Tokyo, Paris, Venice, Istanbul. He has also participated in more than one hundred painting and modern art exhibitions along with other artists. Pashaei was ranked first at the nationwide Visual Arts Festival in 2004, awarded the French art scholarship and honorary citizenship of Cité in Paris in 2012, won the Tokyo Designers' Week in 2014 and was a finalist to Venice Biennale in 2015.
From 2004-2018, Pashaei also taught undergraduate and graduate students at prestigious universities in Tehran. He was the head of Art Panels of numerous national and international art festivals, namely Fadjr visual art festival and the socio-cultural festival of art graduates of Iranian universities.
Pashaei is known as the premier innovator of pixel art in all of his native Iran. He was the first person to introduce the genre to the nation. Along with his students, Pashaei created around 300 portraits of Iranian celebrities – musicians, actors, and athletes using mixed media of mosaic and pixel art which were displayed in the Niavaran Cultural Center (2016), Ariana Art Gallery (2017), and Tehran Museum of Fine Arts (2018).
Pashaei’s last solo exhibition, Khayyam’s Message of Joy (2021), was the artist’s first experience of solo exhibition in his second homeland in Los Angeles, California, United States.
HIGHLIGHTS
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Painter, Sculptor, Calligrapher, Photographer
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Art Professor & Lecturer Based in Los Angeles, California
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Born in 1979 in Kermanshah, Iran
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2006 M.F.A. Visual Arts, Central Azad University in Tehran, Iran
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2003 B.A. Graphic Art, Soore University in Tehran, Iran
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Professional career as an artist since 1996
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Founder & Manager of “Rouge” Art Gallery, 2013 in Tehran, Iran
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Founder & Manager of “Jouan” School of Visual Arts, 2009 in Tehran, Iran
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Founder & Manager of “Hiwa Pashaei” Art Studio, 2009 in Tehran, Iran
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Founder & Manager of “Cheroo” Artistic Publications, 2013 - 2019 in Tehran, Iran
EXHIBITIONS
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Mixed Media Photo Paint Exhibition
April 2012
“Cité International Des Art” Art Gallery in Paris, France
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“Hanaseh”, Mixed Media Exhibition
June 2012
Middle East Art Gallery in Tehran, Iran
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“Bawan”, Painting Exhibition
May 2015
Qasr Garden Museum in Tehran, Iran
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“Hawbash”, Painting & Mixed Media Exhibition
October 2016, Municipality Art Gallery, Sanandaj, Iran’s Kurdistan
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“Daya” Painting & Mixed Media Exhibition
November 2016
Kalhor Art Gallery in Kermanshah, Iran's Kurdistan
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“Iranian Music Celebrities”
May 2016
Niavaran Cultural Complex in Tehran, Iran
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“100 Celebrities of Iranian Cinema & Theater”
November 2017
Ariana Art Gallery in Tehran, Iran
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”100 Star Athletes”
January 2018
Tehran Museum of Fine Arts in Tehran, Iran
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“Khayyam’s Message of Joy” Modern Calligraphy Collection
October–November 2021
ICC in Los Angeles, CA
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“Woman, Life, Freedom” Portable Mural
October–November 2022 and January–February 2023
Los Angeles, CA
SELECTED ACTIVITIES
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Granted Residency in the USA Based on the “Artistic Extraordinary Ability” category
2016
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Resident in “Cité international Des Art“
Paris, 2012
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Selected Artist of “Tokyo Designer’s Week”
2014
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Participant in Venice Biennial
2015
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Teaching and Instruction at Tehran’s Art Universities
2004–2018
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Main Member of Association of Iranian Painters
2015
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Member of California Arts Council
2020